


New First Steps

by eahuhse



Series: Trans Newsies One-Shots [1]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Doctors & Physicians, Gen, Healthy Relationships, Mom Medda Larkin, Supportive Jack Kelly, Supportive Spot Conlon, Trans Male Character, Trans Racetrack Higgins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25009198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eahuhse/pseuds/eahuhse
Summary: Race visits his doctor to get something very special, and has a heartfelt conversation with his brother Jack.
Relationships: Crutchie & Racetrack Higgins, Racetrack Higgins & Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon & Racetrack Higgins
Series: Trans Newsies One-Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810693
Kudos: 31





	New First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there friends!
> 
> Everything in this story (and series) is based on mine and my friends own experiences so it may not be accurate to everyone's experience. Each trans person has their own experience, and I'm using writing to share some of my own.

Race sat in the doctor’s office, his foot tapping against the floor. The secretary cleared her throat and he glanced up. She smiled at him as he shakily rose to his feet and walked over to her desk. She was familiar with him by now, and opened the door to the doctor’s offices.

“Come with me.” Race nodded quietly, keeping his head down as he followed her into an examination room and left him sitting on the uncomfortable bed.

The room was quiet, it smelled like disinfectant. Race hated the doctor’s office, and yet had spent more time there than anywhere else it seemed. He felt a slight tightness in his chest and reached under his shirt to readjust his binder. When he could breathe again, he glanced down at his chest and quickly pulled the hoodie he had with him over his head to hide it.

The door opened and his doctor walked into the room, clipboard in hand as he sat in his small chair and sighed. He moved to the computer in the corner and began typing on the keyboard before addressing Race.

“How are you today?”

“Been worse.” Race muttered, trying to not seem too excited or anxious. He knew that the doctor had news for him, but they hadn’t specified if it was good or bad.

“Well,” the doctor grunted as he turned back to face Race, “I have managed to secure puberty blockers for you. You’ll have to inject a shot once every month. I have a list of instructions here for you.”

Race tried to contain his excitement as he accepted the paper from the doctor, who seemed to give it to him begrudgingly. He knew the doctor had never fully supported his transition, but he was always insistent and his adoptive mother had threatened to change family doctors. Now he didn't regret a moment of it.

"Thank you doctor."

"Follow me, then." Race got up from the bed, following his doctor out to the front desk. The man disappeared behind the counter, bringing out two boxes and passing them to the boy. Along with the paper of instructions, Race tucked them all away into his backpack.

The receptionist smiled at him encouragingly as he filled out the paperwork the doctor pushed towards him, and as he signed at the bottom the doctor nodded before disappearing in the back.

“Have a good day dear.”

Race smiled and nodded, walking out of the doctor’s office and towards the bus stop at the end of the parking lot. As he waited for the bus, he pulled his phone out and called his best friend.

“Spotty! Guess what!”

“What?” Spot asked, his voice the normal sarcastic tone Race was expecting.

“My doctor gave me the puberty blockers!”

“That’s great Racer.” Spot sounded genuinely happy for Race, and it made his heart lift. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Race blushed hard, “I’m just headin’ home. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah sure. Let me know yous home safe.”

Race promised before hanging up the phone and climbing onto the bus as it pulled up to the stop. He sat by himself, looking out the window and smiling as trees and buildings passed by. He pressed the stop button as he saw his building coming up around the corner, and climbed off the bus as he shouted his thanks to the driver.

He walked inside the lobby, texting Spot as he had promised, before making his way to the elevator. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the fifth floor, relaxing as the doors closed and he watched the floor numbers change as the elevator moved up.

Stepping out of the elevator, Race moved down the hallway and pushed open the door to his family apartment. Jack was sprawled out on the couch, a sketchbook in his lap as his hand moved in swift movements with a pencil. Crutchie sat in the chair across from Jack, a book in his lap. Medda was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, and smiled as Race took off his shoes and walked inside.

“How was it Tony?” Medda asked, and Race produced the two boxes from his bag. “Oh wonderful, I’m glad he came to his senses.”

Jack looked up from the couch and grinned at the younger boy.

“Congrats Racer. You tell your Brooklyn boy yet?” Jack teased, and Race rolled his eyes as he collapsed on the couch next to his brother.

“Yeah, I did. An’ he was happy.”

“Good.” Crutchie interjected, giving Jack a look. “I’m happy for you Race. I’m sure everyone else will be too.”

\---

That night, Medda helped Race with his first injection. She insisted on disposing of the syringe herself, and sent Race to his room to rest. He had conceded only due to his excitement and desire to spread the news.

As he lay in bed, scrolling through the messages of support in his friend group chat, he felt confidence swell in his chest for the first time in ages. He knew this needed to happen. He was a boy, this was his proof.

He could finally start to live how he wanted to live, and it made him so happy he felt small tears prick at the corner of his eye. A knock on his door made him jump, and Jack entered the room without Race answering.

“You okay?” Jack asked softly, and Race nodded, wiping away the tears.

“Jus’ happy.” Race muttered, and Jack sat next to him.

“I know I joke an’ all that. But I hope you know, Crutchie and I’s both real happy for you. An’ if you wanna go off with that Spot Conlon, I ain’t gonna stop you.”

Race chuckled, leaning into his brother’s touch. It was comforting that regardless of how he identified, Jack was always protective over him.

“I’m good Jackie, but thank you.”

“Don’t matter. If you wanna cry it’s cool. I like it in here anyways.”

Race nodded, letting the tears of joy run down his cheeks as he and Jack continued to talk late into the night. When Jack finally left to get some sleep, Race rolled onto his bed and moved to plug in his phone. He noticed a text that hadn’t been there before and opened it, smiling as he read it over.

It read:  _ You a real pretty boy Racer. _ He nodded to himself, letting Spot’s words guide him into dreamland with a grin on his face.


End file.
